If there's a rider at Ascot that enjoys a battle, then Canada's top female jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson is the one. And in taking the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile, her second victory of the day, she had an equally willing partner in Don't Call Me.

"I knew I had some horse to ride," she said, "but there were others in there to beat, and I could see in the finish they had their game faces on too, with their ears pinned. But my horse dug in and met them. He wanted the fight as much as I did and enjoyed it as much. This was horse racing at its best, for sure."

Don't Call Me, trained by Dandy Nicholls, fought off the challenge of Tenor and Magic City by a neck and a short-head. Wilson - who flies overnight to Woodbine for nine rides tomorrow - had studied videos of the seven-year-old's previous runs. "A picture is worth a thousand words," she said, "and I was able to see where he'd be most comfortable and confident running, and it paid off. It doesn't get better than this and I don't know how to tell you how much Im loving it."

Wilson's success sent her to the top of the Silver Saddle rankings and The Girls team to the top of the Shergar Cup leaderboard, narrowly ahead of the European team after four races. "A nose is enough if you win," she said, "but now let's draw away. Bring it on, boys, just bring it on."

Nicholls found he hardly needed to give Wilson pre-race instructions. "To be honest, she told me how she was going to ride him," he said, "and credit to her, she did just what she said she would.

"I met Emma-Jayne for the first time today when she came in the paddock. She had done obviously done her homework and watched videos. All I said to her was that in a race like this you usually want to be towards the back but this horse is getting a bit older now and he wanted to be a bit further forward.

"Emma-Jayne has given him a peach of a ride but at the end of the day you have got to have the horse, and this one loves Ascot, he's a different beast here."

Tenor almost hits high note

South African jockey S'manga Khumalo almost broke his Ascot duck but couldn't quite get Tenor's head in front in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile this afternoon, eventually going down by a neck to Don't Call Me in a thrilling finish to the race.

The 10/1 shot responded well to his rider's urgings in the final furlong but couldn't quite get to the 5/1 winner in the dying strides but his second place gives the Rest of the World team a valuable 10 points and they now sit third with 41 points in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup standings behind The Girls (50 points) and the Europe team (47 points).

"I spoke to the trainer (John Ryan) before the race and he told me that the horse wants to be in front so I tried to keep him up there throughout the race," said Khumalo.

"He really tried for me but I couldn't quite get in front. The track is very nice and I like riding here. We all have nice rides and the draw has been very fair. All we need is a bit of luck in running but we all have a chance. I'm enjoying it well though - it's great."

Tenor's trainer was delighted with the ride that Khumalo gave the four-year-old and was full of praise for the South African after the race.

"He's a good lad and he's given him a good ride there," said Ryan.

"I know Mike de Kock (South African trainer) well and when he was booked to ride this one, I spoke to him and he said I had nothing to worry about.

"He's a horse that needs to be in front. Maybe he could have been pushed on a bit sooner but S'manga said that they were going plenty quick enough in front.

"All Tenor does is give his best in every race. It's tough now as he keeps going up in the handicap but the plan is to go back for the London Mile final at Kempton in September."

Queally and Peslier still happy

Tom Queally, captain of the Great Britain & Ireland team on his first time in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, is doing well personally but his team is trailing in fourth, with 22 points all earned by him.

He said after finishing third on Magic City: "It is a fantastic day with a good atmosphere. Magic City ran a cracker."

Olivier Peslier came home fourth on Dark Emerald and earned team Europe five points. His team is a close second on 47 points, just behind The Girls on 50. The Rest Of The World have 41 points in third.

Peslier said: "He ran and fought well."

The French jockey is now in second place for the top rider's honour - the Silver Saddle - with 27 points and three in arrears of leader Emma-Jayne Wilson.

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